Last week, my manager and I were having a talk. We got on the topic of hockey…read more He told me that Mats Sundin, our former Toronto Maple Leafs captain, used to live in the same condominium as he. He mentioned early 90's. We then had this conversation: "Wasn't Sundin with the Nordiques then?" I asked. "We'll need to check," he said. I checked. I was right. Sundin joined the Leafs in 1994. He started his career with the Quebec Nordiques in 1990. Although I don't talk about the Leafs as much as I do the Minnesota Wild (season ticket holder of a handful of tickets) or Winnipeg Jets (first set of live games attended), the Leafs are near and dear to me. It is tough being a Leafs fan for a variety of reasons. I grew up watching the Leafs on television. My dad often had Hockey Night in Canada on after dinner on Saturdays. I'd watch the the team play. The puck moving around ice made this little kid curious and happy. I only heard their names as a kid. Sittler. McDonald. Salming. Palmateer. I'd learn about how important they are and were to the Leafs and hockey later on as I became a huge hockey fan. I got into the Leafs when I was an undergraduate student. The Leafs were in the playoffs. Fans were hoping that the team would hoist another Stanley Cup. There was hope. We still don't have a repeat cup. The team back then was magical. Doug Gilmour and Dave Andreychuk were the dynamic duo. They were wonderful together. Add into the mix Borschevsky, Potvin, Clark, and more and you got an exciting team to watch. I loved catching the team's playoff runs while I was taking summer math courses, trying to balancing studying, and either listening or watching games on the radio or TV, respectively. You then had a changing of the guards with Mats Sundin. He was a tall, skillful player who eventually wore the C. We had more Swedes on our team. It was such a change compared to when Salming joined the NHL and many players weren't used to seeing a European player on the ice. I remember a couple of colleagues from our Karlskrona office visiting ours for a week nearly a decade ago. I took them around Toronto and the suburbs, not that I was forced to, but I liked doing it. I took them to a hockey game after work. They got to see Sundin, Modin, and more at Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena). They were ecstatic! I also recommended that they go to the Hockey Hall of Fame, which they did the following evening. It was nice that hockey strengthened our relationship. They appreciated the fact that I was aware of Swedish hockey players and didn't simply narrow it down to Canadians. Like them, I was a hockey fan. The Leafs these days have a strong team. The core four of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares seem unstoppable scoring machines. Ryan Reaves, formerly of the Wild, is now in a Leafs jersey. It's weird, but he injects a lot of much needed swagger to this club. I removed a star in my rating because it's super expensive seeing a Leafs game at Scotiabank Arena. Getting season tickets is also difficult and expensive. The food isn't as good or affordable as the Xcel Energy Center. One positive is that you can use debit and credit cards for 50/50 draws at Leafs games. I do hope that I can see the Leafs win the cup again in my lifetime. Never say never. (93)

Went to the game vs the Senators. Well I give it three stars since we expected better for the…read morevenue. We got seats by the aisle and it was hard standing and sitting every few minutes. It didn't help that there were about 30 seats per section vs the 20 or less that is typical and the railing slightly blocked our view. Maybe everyone was going around and enjoying their great food and drink since the team sucks and it's a shame they have for so long with it being the only team in Canada's largest metro area by far. No wonder our best friend, a Bruins fan, calls them "The Make Me Laughs" and he actually saw them beat the Capitals in DC the next day. One fan said "maybe I should just become a Sens fan" after they beat them at home. Carlton the polar bear is adorable though.

In terms of the number of trophies won, Toronto FC is near the top of MLS. However, most of…read moreToronto's trophies are Canadian Championship trophies. Not to downplay the Canadian Championship, but only three of the current 28 MLS teams are eligible to compete for the Canadian Championship: CF Montreal (Montreal Impact), Toronto FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Other Canadian Championship participants come from lower-level leagues such as the Canadian Premier League (CPL) and League1 Ontario. Since the Canadian Championship's first year in 2008, the finalists have always included two of Canada's three aforementioned MLS teams. The only exception was in 2020 when Forge FC of Hamilton, Ontario qualified for the final against Toronto. Forge is from the CPL and won back-to-back CPL championships in 2019 and 2020. Toronto FC (7) and CF Montreal (5) have combined to win 12 of the 14 Canadian Championships so far. When it comes to MLS play, Toronto won the Supporters' Shield (best regular season record) and the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2017. It was the team's 11th season. To date, the 2017 MLS Cup is the team's only league championship, a 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders at BMO Field in Toronto. American forward Jozy Altidore was named MLS Cup MVP. He had the opening goal. Around this time, Italian forward Sebastian Giovinco was the star of the team. Giovinco played for Toronto from 2015 to 2019. In his first year, he won three MLS awards: Newcomer of the Year, Golden Boot (most goals in the regular season with 22), and MVP. Giovinco was the team's top scorer for four straight seasons, 2015-2018. Toronto recently had another player win the MLS MVP Award in 2020: Spanish midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo. Pozuelo joined the team in 2019 and is still currently with the team. He's taken over as the leading scorer for Toronto since the departure of Giovinco. Greg Vanney was Toronto's head coach during the "championship era." It was his first head coaching job. A former LA Galaxy player, Vanney has been the Galaxy's head coach since January 2021. Conversely, Bob Bradley has been Toronto's head coach since November 2021. He came over from Galaxy rival LAFC (Los Angeles Football Club).

Went to watch Toronto FC for the first time at BMO fields and it was a fun experience. The stadium…read morewas limited in capacity due to COVID restrictions, but that made it easier to move around and enjoy the stadium. We sat in our actual seats for the first half and then walked around and were let in the beer garden area which is usually reserved for season ticket holders etc. Atmosphere was lively and make sure you join in the team spirit with the chants and noise. I can see why people often compliment the Toronto FC experience. Parking & Beer & food & water were extremely over priced as expected. The game ended up being a tie, but we had a good time!

Tip: If you purchase a Toronto Marlies ticket. it allows you to take advantage of future ticket…read moresales. I ended up getting 50% off tickets during the regular 2024-2025 season, as well as the 2025 playoffs. When Winnipeg lost its NHL Jets, the city got the Manitoba Moose. We got International Hockey League (IHL) games for a few years before the team became a part of the America Hockey League (AHL). I moved back to the greater Toronto area. I was still a Manitoba Moose fan. I took in Toronto Marlies game at the Ricoh (now Coca-Cola) Coliseum whenever the team played the Moose. The Marlies are the farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Tickets for the latter are expensive. I took in a Leafs game a decade ago. My ticket at the 300-level of Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena) was just under $200. I saw players looking like coffee beans moving around on a white surface, which was the rink. Marlies tickets are exceptionally affordable. I haven't broken the bank getting one. My recent first-round playoff ticket was $27 before taxes thanks to a 50% off deal. I stopped going to AHL games for over a decade. It's likely because I ended up being a Minnesota Wild season ticket holder. Last year, the Wild didn't make the playoffs. The Toronto Marlies did for the Calder Cup. I got a chance to see this team play the Belleville Senators (farm team of the Ottawa Senators) in the first round. Sadly, the Marlies didn't win the series. This year, the Marlies played the Cleveland Monsters in the first round of the playoffs. I saw both teams play in January. The Monsters won the game. I was hoping that the Marlies would win yesterday. It was a three-game series. Sadly, the Monsters won in double overtime and ended the hockey season for the Marlies. It was my first double overtime game that I have experienced at any arena. I liked that concession stands continued to stay open. It was a bit sad that many folks left after the third period. My guess is that most folks wanted to go home to see the Leafs play the Senators. I don't know. If you're at the game and it goes into overtime, I feel the need to support my team. It was a heartbreaking lost, but I was so proud that the Marlies made it an exciting game, including a penalty shot that got the Marlies a goal. I like attending Marlies games. I like the swag that you get here and there, from a beanie, to a rally towel. Entering Coca-Cola Coliseum is straightforward. You get your ticket scanned from your phone. You go through security without taking anything out of your pockets. It's easy. I frankly like the good eats at Marlies games. It's better than anything at Scotiabank Arena. The quality is just as good as the food at Xcel Energy Center. Even if you're not a diehard hockey fan, come for the food. Grilled cheese. Mac and cheese (I got shells and corkscrew pasta shapes, which seem fancy). House-made potato chips. Chili beef foot-long hot dogs. Everything that I have had has been fantastic. There is a merchandise store. It's not open after the game, which is weird. I have a Marlies cap that is comfortable. I finally got a Marlies t-shirt yesterday, which is super soft and comfortable. I thought that I'd just be a one-team AHL supporter. I started with the Manitoba Moose. I added the Marlies when I moved back to the GTA. I added the Iowa Wild, the farm team of the Minnesota Wild. It's good hockey and extremely affordable. I like the Marlies. The players are fun to watch. Ticket prices are wonderfully affordable. I'd sooner take in a ton of Marlies games than breaking the bank on a Leafs ticket and bringing binoculars to the game. (142)

Toronto Marlies($35.00/Sides) is a good deal for a First-time Live Hockey game watcher in the City…read moreof Toronto. This is in consideration that University of Toronto Blues is not worth watching, while the Toronto Maple Leafs are impossible to get a hold of and even at that it would cost you a months RENT or two. Playing the Hamilton Bulldogs, we found that we were sitting along a full age demographics here from Newborns to Retired Elders. I would say there's a much higher ratio of Under 10 then any other age group. They were all dressed in their own Hockey Jerseys meaning they are in a Hockey program of some sort. Greg Scott, Joey Crabb did well and Jerry D'Amigo won it for Marlies during the Overtime Shootout while Max Pacioretty was the lone scorer that kept his Bulldogs in the game. Fyi, at this moment in time the Marlies(9-7-0) have a better record than the Maple Leafs(7-9-3) but neither is something to be too excited about unfortunately.

Came to my first game in a long time. I purchased 2 tickets for the all you can eat for $40 plus…read moretaxes. It includes peameal bacon sandwiches hotdogs popcorn nachos with all the toppings and choice of bottled water or non alcoholic soft drinks. We met Megan Wilbert of food services and Ian Malcom who were both outstanding with their customer service. As the staff that directed upon entry accidentally sent us to the wrong areas for the wristbands on the 200 level. Ian took the time to walk us down the 100 level gate 3 to ensure we got our wrist bands. Mega. Was outstanding at introducing us to the all you can eat areas and what options we had. These 2 individuals were outstanding with their customer service and attention to making it an enjoyable experience. We will be back.

If you are looking for great value for your sports and entertainment dollars, look no further than…read morethe Argos. I do not know of any professional football team that offers fans season tickets for as low as $159. Been a season ticket holder for years and win or lose, they always make it worth it to go to the game (except for a few years when the staff of stadium they used to play in made Argo FANS not feel welcome)

Elgin Barrow is the #1 rink in Richmond Hill. It's the home ice for all local rep teams: Stars,…read moreKings, Coyotes. The town's hockey office is here too, right behind the spectators seats of the main ice pad. The main rink has enough seats to host a Jr A or an OHL game. Alas, there is no JrA or OHL team in Richmond Hill. Hence these seats probably never get warm. The way this rink is built, the pillars and columns supporting the roof may block the view for those sitting the upper rows, which is a minus. That's just the way they used to build rinks bank in the day. The arena is warmer than most yet the ice is of decent quality. They have recently renovated the entire arena and the rink has received a sound proofing upgrade. Now it's not as echoey and noisy as before. The secondary rink has only a couple of small benches for the spectators. You can also watch the game or the practice through the glass from the hallway upstairs. The snack shop is usually open and offers coffee, tea and a limited variety of snacks. The pro shop is hardly ever works. At least I have not seen it open in a long while. There is one or two party rooms that are frequently booked for birthdays and other events. There are a few parking spots near the main entrance. There is a time limit there and the town is quick to write a ticket (don't ask me how I know LOL). There is a huge parking lot behind the building, in between the arena and the baseball diamond. And even more parking across the street.

A moment of nostalgia overcame me when, during a random yelp search, I came across this Yelp…read morelisting. As a kid growing up in Richmond Hill, this was minor league hockey Mecca. I can still recall getting my house league hockey assignments in novice and atom and knowing that the games would be in either Elgin Mills East or Elgin Mills west arena. As mentioned already, one side is definitely meant for the likes of a junior team, a seemingly larger ice surface, and tons of seating (far more than a gang of parents huddled together watching a 6am practice can fill). Having a game here as a youngster was like being drafter and playing in the NHL. The other side (much smaller) was meant for younger teams, house league, summer hockey, etc. While the spectator areas were limited, the best seats in the house were from the enclosed viewing deck above. Funny story about the latter, I was once playing goalie in house league and had been just told about the aggressive style of play of the once great Ron Hextal... I took the story far too literally and leveled a kid on the other team with an unsuspecting goalie paddle to the back. Ohhhh boy. Somehow I avoided getting into trouble Ha ha. But you can be the didn't come near MY crease ever again. Glad to hear it's received some much needed renovations as even playing here as a 7-10 year old in the early '90s I could tell the place needed work. But it was home, it's where I got my start and if I'm lucky enough to have kids one day, I'd love to see them play here one day (even if it's just a visiting game). How's that for a #TBT style review.

This was my second time attending an event here, and overall the venue is very organized. There are…read moreseveral gates that are pretty evenly distributed, which helps with the large crowds. Ticket prices fluctuate depending on the game, but overall I find them pretty decent. For popular giveaway days, definitely arrive early. Our game started at 3 PM, but people were already lining up before noon. My most recent visit was for Hello Kitty Day, where they were giving away 15,000 Halloween Hello Kitty figurines with bobble arms. The gates opened at 1 PM and everyone started pushing forward to get in, but it wasn't too bad. They had cases of the figurines ready at the entrance, and I managed to get one! Once inside, we lined up for the Hello Kitty caricatures. The wait was around an hour, with seven artists working at the same time. Each artist had a different drawing style, and you couldn't really choose who you got. But it's free, and the artists really take their time to capture your details. I think this was the best booth! There were also several Hello Kitty areas throughout the venue with temporary tattoos, balloons, nails, hair clips, bow making, an apple toss, and other activities. A lot of them came with small freebies, so I managed to collect quite a few things throughout the day. There was also plenty of merch available, although it was fairly expensive. For food, there are plenty of food and drink options throughout the stadium, although most of the vendors seemed to have similar options. We had Italian sausage hot dogs this time, and they were pretty much as expected. On my first visit, I tried one of their foot-long hot dogs. The food is definitely pretty expensive, but it's part of the experience, so you do it for the culture at least once. I don't know baseball rules too well, but there's such a great vibe being there that it's still really enjoyable. The stadium is well laid out, the staff are helpful and friendly, and we had a great view of the entire game from our seats. The atmosphere was really good and everyone around us was chill. Overall, I've had a good time during both visits and would definitely come back for another game or special event.

I went weeks ago to a Blue Jays game, Astros vs Jays. I grew up with the Jays we where there for a…read moregiveaway night, too, so that was a bonus. It was coinciding with FIFA, CDN vs SUI in Vancity last June. We sat in section 214, greats seats ... They opened the dome. The mascots were featured throughout the game on the field and up in the sections during the game. It was wonderful to be there and see all the heroes from the previous World Series dream-run. Then around the 3rd inning got up and walked around and explored the new renovations. So different when we used to come to 25+ games in the '92-95 years. I was great to walk around and see the game from so many vantages: home plate, first base, left field from the 100s; up on the skydeck which has the atmosphere of a house party on the 500s ... We got back to our seats around the 8 inning with food brisket and nachos and a sandwich and they were delicious! Even those lost, was exciting and loved every minute.

The inaugural season of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) kicked off in early January…read more2024. This league is also affectionately known as P-dub, which is easier to say than the acronym. The league consists of these six teams: - Toronto - Ottawa - Montreal - Minnesota - New York - Boston They were supposed to have team names. The league applied for six trademarks, which were considered leaked names. I don't know if this story is true, as you can always get trademarks for names that you think that you want, but aren't forced to use them. It would have been the Toronto Torch. I dig the alliteration. Go, Torch, go! This chant works. Instead, the teams were simply PWHL + location. It seems strange, but there is standardization. When the jerseys were unveiled, they had the location in block letters running diagonally across the front. It looked simple and kind of boring at first, but it grew on fans. I have been watching and supporting Toronto and Minnesota games throughout this season. I like that games are broadcast on YouTube for free. It sure beats my NHL subscription! PWHL Toronto plays their games at Mattamy Athletic Centre, which was formerly Maple Leaf Gardens. Yep, it's where the Toronto Maple Leafs played their games from 1931 till 1999. It's now a mix of an ice hockey rink, a Loblaws supermarket, and a venue where the Toronto Metropolitan University holds convocation and other large events. I have yet to see this team play a game at Mattamy. I suppose that taking in Minnesota Wild games in Saint Paul has torn me away from taking in a PWHL game here. I am consistent, though. I also hadn't been taking in any Toronto Marlies games (American Hockey league) for a longer period. I do love this Toronto team. The majority of the players are Canadian. Many of them recently won gold at the Women's Hockey Championship in April. I like that the PHWL halted all games so that players from this league could participate in this world event. With the Wild out of the playoffs for the first time in a few years, it was nice to check out local hockey. I squeezed in a couple of AHL games before the Marlies exited the playoffs early. PWHL Toronto was the top team in the league during the regular season. I like that the rules are different in this league. This team decided its opponent in the first playoff round. It chose Minnesota, a team that was on a ten-game losing skid. Minnesota seemed to be the easiest team to beat. I am happy to say that my first PWHL game that I attended was in Toronto, at Coca Cola Coliseum. This game was the first PWHL playoff game ever. It was a dream to see two teams that I have supported battle it out. The PWHL is so popular that Mattamy Athletic Centre was deemed too small for the crowd for the first round of the playoffs. It's the main reason why it was moved to the Coliseum. When I first saw Toronto hit the ice and warm up, I could tell that this team was ready. The team looked good. It was a best-of-five-games series. Toronto looked strong, winning the first two games at home. Minnesota proved to be a huge thorn in Toronto's side. Minnesota did a reverse series win and beat the top ranked team. I was sad that my attending PWHL Toronto games was over for this season. However, I was so proud at how great this team did. Sadly, the team lost Natalie Spooner to injury during the playoffs. She had the most goals during the regular season. Her absence affected the team's ability to win the series. I had the best seat for my first and only PWHL game at Coca Cola Coliseum. My ticket was affordable and the food at this venue is excellent. I look forward to next season and taking in at least a PWHL Toronto game at Mattamy Athletic Centre. Here's hoping that Toronto has another successful regular season and ends up hoisting the Walter Cup next year. (222)

The Brampton Beast are probably one of the most under-utilized sources of affordable fun -…read moreespecially for families. Though they're in a lower-tier of minor league hockey, the games are usually fairly entertaining and what sets the Beast apart in terms of experience is that they really make a huge effort to bring an entertaining experience when you come. Take a look at their schedule, and you'll see theme nights such as Star Wars, 90's and just about everything else. They make sure kids are engaged with the theme, along with the very good chance the kids will get on the big screen, meet the mascot and even win a prize. Coming to games is extremely accessible based on the inexpensive tickets. Also, though some in the GTA may hear "Brampton" and assume it's too far, bear in mind they're located a few hundred metres from Mississauga and a couple minutes away from the Derry Rd/410 exit. Most people could make it here in 20 minutes or less for a weekend game. Parking is free too.

Seems like a great family night outing. There is free parking and the ticket prices are affordable…read more The hockey is competitive, but it's visible that it's not as competitive or highly skilled as ahl or nhl. They have box seats which are great for parties. Their pizza and nachos tastes pretty good. The arena's size allows for great views throughout. Kids seem to really enjoy the mascot, music and the hotdog bazooka. They have 50/50 but didn't announce the winning number during the game. At the end of the game I went to check for the winning number and staff was unsure where to go. I went to aisle 11 they told me to go to aisle 3 and vice versa. The staff made me wait to text each other what the number was and where to go. Finally saying someone had claimed it without giving the number. Overall, very relaxing, nice views, music and light show does hype you up. There are tons of families watching with their small children. Affordable entertainment.